CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Down 2-1 to Arkansas State (13-15) in the bottom of the eighth inning, pinch hitter Chris Osborne's three-run home run lifted Southeast Missouri (21-8) to a 4-2 win, keeping the Redhawks' winning streak alive.
 
The Redhawks' winning streak is extended to 11 games with the win over the Red Wolves.
 
The game-winning home run was Osborne's team-leading sixth homer of the season.
 
"Chris knew what he needed to do when he stepped up to the plate," head coach Steve Bieser said. "He knew we were in a situation that we needed an extra base hit. Coming off the bench, our philosophy is to be aggressive and put a good swing on the first fastball we get and hopefully put it in play with some authority and that's exactly what he did."
 
Redhawk starter Jacob Lawrence pitched six and two-thirds innings, allowing one run on just five hits. Lawrence struck out five and walked three. He suffered a no decision in the start.
 
"I thought Jacob was just outstanding," Bieser added. "We had three balls that went up in the air and should've been automatic outs but we just didn't make plays on. That's three outs, a whole extra inning, in a game that he had outs for that we didn't give him. He kept his cool and pitched around those mistakes. His ability to work around those plays shows a real veteran and that he is in control and he will get out of it. He was the difference maker in tonight's game."
 
Justin Murphy (3-2) picked up the win in relief. Murphy entered the game after Arkansas State plated the go-ahead run in the eighth inning. He inherited a runner on first, two out, and a 1-0 count. He pitched one and a third scoreless innings, allowing two hits, and striking out one.
 
Senior infielder/closer Tanner Ring (1-1) suffered the loss after entering to save the game in the eighth. Ring pitched one inning and gave up Osborne's three-run go-ahead run in the eighth. In 32 career appearances out of the pen, this is Ring's first career loss.
 
Bryan Ayers started for the Red Wolves and pitched six innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out eight Redhawks.
 
The game remained scoreless for two and a half innings until Dan Holst launched a solo home run to right field, putting Southeast on top, 1-0 in the bottom of the third.
 
Arkansas State used back-to-back two-out doubles to plate the tying run in the top of the fourth.
 
The Red Wolves scored the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning on an RBI single through the left side by Matt Burgess, scoring Jake Bakamus, and giving ASU a 2-1 lead.
 
In the bottom of the inning, Branden Boggetto drew a one out walk and moved up to third on a single by Garrett Gandolfo. With a 1-1 count, pinch hitter Scott Mitchell laid down a squeeze bunt but Boggetto was tagged out at home on the play for the second out. Osborne then stepped in a blasted the go-ahead three-run home run to put Southeast ahead 4-2.
 
The Red Wolves used a leadoff walk and a one-out infield single to get a pair of runners on in the ninth but Murphy used a strikeout and a flyout to get out of the jam en route to the victory.
 
Bieser remarked on Murphy, "I think the biggest thing for Murphy was to get him some work tonight since we hadn't used him much in the last couple weeks. I was afraid he had lost some of the edge he had. We talked and I told him we'd start using him whether it'd be a situation we normally use him or not. We just need him to get on the mound and keep the rhythm he has. He looked rough early on then all of a sudden, things started to look different in the ninth. He needs to throw more; we just haven't used him the last couple weeks."
 
Gandolfo led the offense going 3-for-3 with a run scored and a triple. Kylar Robertson was the only other Redhawk with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a double.
 
Joe Schrimpf and Burgess each put up two hits and an RBI for Arkansas State on Tuesday.
 
The Redhawks will take their 11-game winning streak and 12-0 conference record on the road this weekend to Ohio Valley Conference foe Austin Peay.